Indigo Girls

A cool summer night listening to the Indigo Girls at the Oregon Zoo made for a magical affair. The dance floor, the seating area and the green were packed with long-time and new fans alike, energized and ready for an unforgettable night of singing and dancing.

Caroline Aiken was the opening act, an amazing addition to the night and the perfect entr�e for the Indigo Girls. She wove stories of her life as a musician between folk songs from her newest album "Broken Wings Heal," and songs she has been singing for years. Between her powerful voice, husky tone and skills on guitar, she had the audience fully engaged, even those who had never heard her before.

Emily Saliers joined her on stage and together they sang a memorable duet, before Caroline told the story of meeting Emily behind a bar when Emily was just a teen. The audience loved hearing of Emily's past and became even more excited for the Girls to take the stage.

And when they did, the crowd was on their feet cheering and clapping with unbridled excitement and anticipation. As if they were unsure of just how much Portland loves the Indigo Girls, opening with "Least Complicated," a classic and a fan favorite sealed the love as a keeper. It certainly didn't hurt that likely more than half of that audience came out to or because of finding themselves in those lyrics.

New songs were intertwined with old favorites and serendipitously the audience's requests were already on the set list.

Songs from the new album "One Lost Day" carry forward the most beloved aspects of Amy and Emily's music with powerful lyrics, beautiful harmonies and opportunities for Emily's melody to shine and Amy's rock-n-roll to pour out of her guitar as exemplified by "Southern California is Your Girlfriend" and "Happy in the Sorrow Key," respectively. Each time they play "Chicken Man" at a show, a power draws the crowd in, enraptures every audience member and ignites a fire in every belly.

But Amy and Emily were not the only ones who enchanted; the audience, the bassist, keyboard and accordion player, and the percussionist all contributed to the ethereal nature of the night. Lyris Hung, the violinist (who also plays the dulcimer and a variety of other stringed instruments) stole the show more than once with haunting draws of her bow, mysterious sounds of finger picking and symphonic runs that were rock-n-roll and chamber all at once.

Nearly every song, new and old, captivated the audience, brought them from romance to revolution, from vision to action, from pleasure to inspiration. It's what fans love about the Indigo Girls; they make you believe that "a little girl in the world can do anything." They even thanked the animals at the zoo, all donning animal hoods in respect and appreciation of their tolerance for the noise.

There is something truly magical about an Indigo Girls concert and this night was exemplary of their moving music, their sheer talent, their enjoyment in each other, the audience and playing shows, and their continued relevance and meaning on the folk-rock scene.

The trepidation of the show ending became palpable as the night sky settled in and the fear of having to end the fantastical dream came creeping in. It merely encouraged the crowd though, with cheers and standing ovations, cries for an encore, which everyone knew had to come. And come it did with "Spread the Pain Around" from the new album and closing with their signature tune, "Closer to Fine." The Indigo Girls continue their tour in Utah and Colorado before moving on to 18 other cities across the country.

The Indigo Girls played on July 11 at the Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Road, Portland, OR 97221. For information, call 503-226-1561 or visit http://www.oregonzoo.org. For future tour dates, visit http://indigogirls.com/events.